BLRN: Alternative Ending
by purrfectly679
Summary: [complete] Set after chpt 19 of 'I think I better leave right now': After Sasuke falls, what will become of Naruto? Will he stay around to pick up the pieces, or has his heart already been shattered beyond repair? SasuNaru - for all the romantics!
1. Once bitten, twice as shy

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Naruto. And probably never will!  
**Title**: I think I better leave right now – alternative chapter 20  
**Author**: Purrfectly679 - e-mail for comments and suggestions. Feedback highly appreciated.  
**Rating**: R, angst, bad language, slight AU. SakuSasu, hint of SasuNaru.   
**Notes**: Here you go guys. For everyone who wanted a happy ending… I'm not good with fluff… so I really hope that I don't disappoint you… .

Just want to say thanks to everyone who's ever reviewed!! And for the fanart submissions… They're absolutely brilliant! Thanks especially to **Kiki** and **Jeannie**! I love you guys!

**Previously**: Sasuke takes 5 shots in the chest to protect Naruto. He then falls into unconsciousness.

---------------------

"This is all your fault Naruto!"

_So much screaming… Why was there so much screaming? _

"I hate you! I hate you I hate you! How dare you? Sasuke's hurt because of you!! It's all because of you!"

_I know Sakura… I know it's my fault… I'm a demon remember? And demons bring nothing but bad luck… _

"I hate you! Why won't you even say anything you fucking bastard?! If it wasn't for you, Sasuke and I would be happily married by now! But he's in hospital – because of you! This is all your fault!"

_My head hurts… And I feel tired… I'm sorry Sakura… I never meant to hurt you… I never meant to hurt any of you… _

"What the fuck is wrong with you, you demon? Can't even answer back because you know I'm right! You know this is your fault! I hate you, I hate you, I hate you! You've ruined everything! You've ruined my entire life!"

_I'm… sorry… _

"And… And if Sasuke dies… It will be your fucking fault! If you hadn't run off to whether the fuck you were… If you hadn't… I swear, if he dies… I'll kill you Naruto! If he dies, I swear on my life I will fucking end your life with my bare hands…!!"

_Please stop crying Sakura… I… I wish… I wish none of this had happened…Maybe I… _

_I don't deserve to live… _

"Stop looking at me with your blank eyes! I hate you! I hate you so much! Do you even fucking care? You're not even listening to me, are you? Why won't you even answer me?"

_I wonder if you even realise that you're screaming? You're screaming Sakura… And it's really loud – _

SLAP

"You deserved that! You deserved that! I hate you! I hate you so much…"

_…Come back Sakura… I'm… I'm so… sorry… Don't leave… _

_Don't leave me like everyone else has… _

-------------------------------

"I'm so sorry Sasuke… I'm so… sorry! Please be ok! I can't… I can't live with myself if anything happens to you… Please wake up! Please… Sasuke… I'm begging you…! Please…! Don't die…"

"Please don't die!"

------------------------------

"Sasuke… You promised me! You promised that you weren't going to leave me!! Remember? Do you remember…?"

"So why aren't you pulling through? Fight it Sasuke…! Please… I can't… I can't live without you… Don't you understand? If you die, I swear I'll be following you… I don't care – I don't care what I promised – I don't care about my dreams, about being Hokage… Cos if you break your promise then I'll break mine… And I'll follow you to death if need be…"

"Please Sasuke… Everyone needs you… I… _I need you… _Please… I… Please don't give up…"

"Please pull through…."

------------------------------

"Sasuke… I… The doctors said that you might not make it through the night… You're leaving me aren't you?"

"I… I trusted you Sasuke! You _promised_ me that you weren't going to leave me… And now… And now you're going to leave me like everyone else…"

"No!! … I… You will pull through! You hear me Sasuke? You're going to live! Fuck you Sasuke! Why won't you get the fuck up?! Please – I'm begging you here…! Just… Pull through…!"

"I know you can do it! You're the great Uchiha right? You can fucking overcome anything damn you…! Please…Sasuke… I…"

_"I need you…" _

----------------------------

"Hey Sasuke… It's me again… I… The doctors said it was a miracle that you made it… But you're… You're stuck in a coma at the moment… The doctors told me that you could hear me… And that talking to you might wake you up faster…"

"Hehe… I know… Me talking could probably wake up the dead right? Anyone would get up just to shut me up…!"

"Anyway… I'm glad you've pulled through… Means you'll be getting u soon right? You're looking kinda pale… But uhm… I guess you've always been pale, ne…? Hehe… Uhmm…"

"I'm sorry I'm not the best of company at the moment… But… Sakura's gone home for the time being… She's really upset, not that I can blame her… And Kakashi-sensei is trying to work out who the hell that dark-haired woman was… So he's in a meeting at the moment… So unfortunately, you're stuck with me…"

"…"

"I really am sorry you know… I… I never meant for things to go this way… I…"

"…"

"Sorry… Just choked there a bit… You know how hospitals are… So starchy… Ugh my nose itches… And by the way, the hospital gown suits you… Definitely two thumbs up!"

"Uh… Anyway… I… I guess… I guess I'll let you rest then…"

_"Sleep well Sasuke…" _

------------------------------

"Hey Sasuke! It's me… again… I… I'm sorry – I've probably disappointed you, eh? I know Sakura hasn't visited in a long time, but… It's not her fault… She's just busy I guess… You must be getting sick of me though, eh? I… I'm sorry…"

"I… I hope you're not still angry at me… I… I just wanted to say…"

"…"

"Ah never mind… It was stupid anyway…"

"Hey remember that time when we went fishing together? And you pushed me into the river?? I got really wet you know… But I guess you did me a favour, because I finally caught a fish that way!! Hmm… that fish was kinda small though… compared to yours…"

"You know… I used to think that you cheated – I dunno – had some special kind of bait or used some chakra skill or something… Yeh I know it sounds stupid, but… It just wasn't normal!! How could you catch so much fish in one go? I think even Kakashi-sensei was surprised…"

"Hmm I better shut up now… You probably want your rest…"

---------------------------

"Hey Sasuke… Remember that time we found Kakashi-sensei's perverted books? They were really gross weren't they? I don't know about you, but I had nightmares for over a week…! I remember your face after you read the paragraph about that dildo man – you know – the guy that attacked all his colleagues with a massive dildo? Hehe… I know you tried to keep your expression blank but I _know_ I saw a flicker of shock flash across your face! Hehe… That was actually quite funny…"

--------------------------

"Sasuke… Explain to me why you're still here… Please! I don't… I don't want to be irritating or anything… But… Don't you _want_ to wake up or something?! Why aren't you pulling through, huh? I know you Sasuke! I know you're stronger than this!! So why the fuck aren't you fighting it? Why are you just… just giving up?"

"The doctors are on the verge of giving up hope – they said that you should've woken up about 2 months ago… But I know you can get better, right? I know you can! I _know_ you Sasuke – you won't leave us… You won't leave ME… So WHY won't you get up? Just why won't you _fucking_ wake up?"

--------------------------

"I'm probably the last person you want to listen to right now… Probably _really_ sick of me, right? But there's a lot I need to get off my chest… And so much I need to tell you…! God Sasuke…! So I figured that it was either now or never…"

"Please… Sasuke… I… I'm not good at begging… But… I swear – I… I can't go on without you… Do you understand? If you don't get up, my life is over… I'm sorry for sounding so cliché… But… I…"

_"Do you even understand?" _

"The truth is… I… Every time you look at me, I feel my heart stop… Why is that? Can you answer that for me? Why is it that every time I look into your eyes, I can't seem to breathe? And then everything seems to speed up and slow down at the same time… And everything feels so wrong, yet so right…"

"And why is it, that no matter what I do, I can't stop thinking about you? You invade my mind… my soul… I close my eyes, and all I see is you… You and your dark intense eyes…"

"I get so scared Sasuke… Why do you make me feel this way? Is it even normal? Is it normal for you to have so much power over me? Because you do… I would die for you, you know… I would die for you a thousand times over, just to see a single smile upon your lips…"

"I wish… I wish you wouldn't have taken those shots for me… I… I know it's my fault – everything's always been my fault… But… You don't deserve to be lying here… It should be me…"

"Sometimes… Sometimes I just want to end it all, you know? But every time I get to the point of no return, something holds me back… And… It's you… Even though you're not even aware of it, you've saved me again and again… It just seems ungrateful… I mean - if I were to end it all – it would just be an insult to your sacrifice, wouldn't it?"

"Do you understand now, Sasuke? Do you understand why I've been lying to you? Why I've been hiding my love for you? Cos this isn't normal… This can't be healthy – this _obsession_… Because that's what it is, isn't it? I'm obsessed with you, and that can't lead to anything good…"

"But I promise you know, Sasuke… If you get up now – if you promise to pull through – I will dedicated my life to loving you. I don't care if I don't deserve you – I don't care if it all seems too good to be true… You lo-love me, ri-right? So… So nothing else should matter…"

"Fuck the consequences – nothing matters anymore… As long as I'm with you, everything will be fine, ne? I'm sorry if it sounds like blackmail, but Sasuke… I can't… I can't live without you…"

"And even though I've never said this before, I truly mean it with all my heart… I love you Sasuke… I'll always love you. And I'll continue to love you to the end of time…"

"So wake up, yeh? Wake up so we can start the rest of our lives together… Ok?"

--------------------------------

Almost immediately after Naruto's speech, a hand suddenly shot out and grabbed his, shocking him into oblivion. The blonde stood rooted to the spot, his eyes wide open in fear and disbelief.

Sasuke…? _Was Sasuke waking up?!_

"Doctor!" Naruto yelled hysterically, his mind drowning within a semi-state of panic. What the hell was he supposed to do now?! Sasuke had moved – after 10 whole months – the raven-haired boy finally showed some signs of movement! Did that mean he was waking up? Did that mean he was going to be ok?

"Doctor! Where the hell are you?" the blonde shouted furiously, as the pale hand held within his began to lose strength and grip. What was going on now? Was Sasuke falling back into unconsciousness?

_No…! _

Almost instantly, a team of nurses and doctors rushed in and effectively surrounded the prone body. Naruto watched the busy commotion with a dazed look upon his features, as efficient checks were made of the Uchiha's vital signs… _Too fast…_ Everything was rushing by too fast…

Erratic thoughts rushed through his head as blood pounded loudly, reverberating steadily within his ears… Was Sasuke going to be ok? Was he waking up?

_Was he finally waking up? _

"Naruto-kun?"

Shocked blue eyes met warm brown.

"Naruto-kun, he's regaining consciousness…" the kind-looking nurse murmured softly, as the screaming confusion finally died down.

The blonde swallowed heavily before inching closer towards the dark-haired boy. Sasuke… Sasuke was _really_ waking up? After all this time… After 10 long months… He was finally going to be ok?

Suddenly, black eyes flickered unsteadily, as if the glare of the light in the room was much too bright. Naruto held his breath as a stab of fear crawled up his spine. What was he supposed to do now? What was Sasuke going to say? Was he going to say _anything_?

And why the hell was his heart racing so fast?

"Sasuke…" the blonde whispered in disbelief, as apprehension gripped his soul. He couldn't believe it - it was really happening!! He felt the raven-haired boy's grip tighten upon his hand, as black eyes blinked wearily to clear his vision.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the haunting eyes finally opened, before immediately focussing upon a pair of frightened blue orbs.

Naruto held his breath, as the dry lips slowly parted as if to speak.

"Who…" Sasuke wet his lips gently, before continuing. His voice was dry, hoarse and unsteady from disuse. "Who…"

"_Who are you?"_

Naruto felt the warm hand slip out of his, before his world came crashing to an abrupt halt.

------------------------------

Naruto sat waiting edgily for the doctor, as the unexpected events of the past hour rushed wearily through his head. He still couldn't believe it… After everything… After _everything_ they had went through… After those 5 long years apart, after Itachi… After declaring his love… And now…

And now Sasuke didn't even remember him…

He sighed wearily before burying his face within his hands. It had hurt… _It had really hurt…_ To see those eyes – those eyes that used to be full of intense passion – to stare straight at him with something akin to blank puzzlement… To look at him as if he were a stranger…

_To look at him without love… _

The truth was painful… _Sasuke really didn't remember him_… Didn't remember anything - what they had shared, what they had promised…

_What they could've been… _

In a way, Naruto mused, it was probably for the best… Maybe it was just another cruel trick played by the gods of fate… Or maybe it was a test – a test of their love – and it was now obvious that they had just irrevocably failed… It was a sign that they were never meant to be – and that maybe their love _just_ _wasn't_ strong enough… After all, if Sasuke didn't remember him, then it would probably be easier for him to let go…

Then maybe the dark-haired boy could live the life that he deserved… _The life that the blonde could never give him… _

It was all for the best really… Everything would work out for the better… For Sasuke… For Sakura… _For everyone_…

But if that was true – then why did his heart suddenly feel shattered beyond repair?

"Uzumaki-san?"

Naruto looked up as the doctor walked into his view. He immediately jumped out of his seat, his hands clenched tightly together in unconcealed anxiety.

"Sasuke! Is he going to be ok?"

The doctor smiled softly at the obvious concern that the blonde showed for his team-mate. It was nice to be loved… "Physically, he's making a remarkable recovery – he should be able to go home tomorrow… But mentally – he seems to be suffering from a slight bout of amnesia…"

"Slight? What do you mean by slight?" evident fear flickered across the blonde's features.

"He seems to recall some memories of his past… But others – like you – seem to be missing from his memory…"

Naruto felt his chest constrict almost painfully as the words sank into his mind. "Why me?" he whispered, the uncertainty apparent within his voice. And was there anyone else? What else did he forget…? Or was it…

Or was it _just_ him?

"We think that it may have been caused by self erected mind blocks – kinda like a security shield… We don't really know the reasons, but…" the doctor seemed hesitant, almost reluctant to continue with his sentence. "But maybe… Maybe he has some painful memories concerning you? That would explain everything – it's almost like the body's self-defence against mental anguish…"

The blonde crumpled to the floor, as the painful words echo relentlessly within his mind. '_Maybe he has some painful memories concerning you…'_ Was that why Sasuke didn't remember him? Because he had hurt him…? Because the Itachi ordeal was his fault? And now, the raven-haired boy probably hated him… Hated him like everyone else hated him…

_He hated him too much to remember… _

Naruto felt indescribable pain well up in his chest. So it came true… But he knew it all along anyway, so why the hell did it still hurt so much? He _knew_ that he would end up hurting the Uchiha… He knew it! He should have stayed away…! He should've listened to his head…! If only he had stayed away… _If only…_

And now Sasuke hated him… The only person that he had ever loved now hated him – hated him too much to even remember him…

"Will he… Will he ever remember me?" the blonde whispered hollowly, even as all his remaining hope drained out of him. Maybe he didn't deserve to be remembered… After all, this is what he deserved – a life without love, a life without hope… He deserved to suffer for his actions, for his crimes… He deserved to suffer for what he did to Sasuke…

The doctor hesitated, as if the next few words were extremely difficult for him to say. "We do not know when he'll regain his memories… Or whether he ever will…"

Naruto watched with a heavy heart as his world once again became blurry with tears. He should be glad right? This way, he wouldn't have to be afraid of Sasuke looking at him hatred within his eyes… This way he could let him go, and still be his friend… Sasuke could marry Sakura, and fulfil his duty of reviving his clan… This way, no one had to know about anything – about them, about their forbidden affair… He could keep their secret to himself – no one would be any wiser… No one would ever need to know…

_No one would ever need to know that he loved Sasuke… That he loved him with all his heart and soul… _

But if it was that easy, then why did his heart hurt so much?

_Why did it still hurt so much? _

---------------------------------

Sasuke frowned in confusion as he stood and waited for Sakura to sign him out from the hospital. He rubbed his limbs wearily as his mind spun furiously at the whole implausibility of the situation – it was just so damn strange that he himself almost couldn't believe it…! He had been in hospital for 10 months… That's almost a whole year! 10 whole months spent in a coma, doing absolutely nothing… Just laying there – no moving, no training, no _anything_…

_What a waste of precious time…_

He sighed – he should be grateful really - at least he didn't have to go through extensive physiotherapy… He didn't think that he'd be able to stay sane if he had to remain in the hospital for even one day longer…

It had been a day since he had awoken from his prolonged sleep – and those 24 hours had seemed the longest and yet the shortest of his entire life… It was strange – when he had first opened his eyes, the first thing he happened to look at was the boy with the blue eyes… And yet no matter how hard he searched his mind, he just _couldn't_ remember him… It frustrated him no end – especially after seeing the apparent hurt upon the blonde's features…

For some reason, he felt as if he _never_ wanted to see him hurt ever again…

That boy… He said his name was Naruto… Sasuke searched his memory again but came up with nothing but a blank void. He sighed in irritation… Just why couldn't he remember _anything_ about him? He could recall everything else – there was Kakashi, Sakura… Shikamaru, Ino, Hinata… He even remembered the battle with Itachi, even though he was at a loss to what _exactly_ happened to him after he had passed out…

But Naruto…? He was his team-mate, right? They should've been through a lot together…

But if that was true, then why the hell couldn't he even _remember_ him?

The Uchiha rubbed his eyes wearily. The doctors had reassured him that he would be ok, as long as he didn't try to force his memories… It was possible that he could suffer further relapses, which he certainly did not want to risk… The thought of being remitted to the hospital only made him even more frustrated! He was angry at himself – angry for staying in a coma for so damn long – angry for his stupid lapse in memory – angry for being so damn _weak_…

And angry for hurting the boy with the bright eyes.

Sasuke stared at the floor dejectedly. He didn't even know why his heart felt so heavy… He should be glad! He was finally awake – ready to face the world again… But then why did he feel as if he was still missing something? Missing something really… _important_??

Then again, maybe it was only his mind playing tricks on him… After all, that was normal right? He _had_ been asleep for 10 months after all – it was natural to feel a little paranoid…

Sasuke smiled softly as he recalled the conversation that he had shared with the hyperactive klutz a few hours after he had awoken. Actually – it was more of a one way conversation, but the Uchiha didn't mind. It was actually kinda amusing to watch really - that boy had so much incessant energy!! It seemed never-ending! And he just talked on, and on, and on…!

In the 3 hours that swiftly followed, Naruto had explained everything to him… Well, _almost_ everything… Initially, he had been a bit shocked that Itachi had finally died… After all, he _had_ spent the last 15 years of his life pursuing his brother for revenge… And waking up to find his task suddenly accomplished was much more than just a _little_ strange. He didn't know how to feel – whether relieved, angry… Sad or disappointed…

_Meaningless. Purposeless… _

But when he asked Naruto what had specifically happened, the blonde quickly looked away and mumbled hastily 'You did most of the damage, but Kakashi had finished him off…' It didn't seem to add up properly within his mind – after all, he couldn't actually recall _touching_ his brother during their final confrontation, let alone putting up a decent fight…

Then there was the whole Sakura issue… Naruto explained that situation rather cheerfully - how they were on the verge of getting married before the Itachi incident, and how they were both desperately in love… To tell the truth, he could _just_ about recall _agreeing_ to the engagement, but in all honesty, he couldn't remember _ever_ feeling that deeply for the pink-haired girl… But it wasn't as if the blonde wouldn't lie to him… He frowned – maybe this lack of feeling was another side effect of being in a coma?

And yet, if it was true love… _Then why wasn't she there when he woke up?_

The last 30 minutes were spent on talking about Naruto himself, which Sasuke had secretly thought was the most interesting part of the night… The blonde explained to him how they had been team-mates, and how they had been pretty good friends… He chatted non-stop, almost aimlessly, with a wide grin plastered upon his face… But the Uchiha wasn't fooled - underneath it all, he could see that the smaller boy was hurt… He could see the concealed ache, the suppressed hurt… He could see it in his eyes – see the pain within those _indescribable_ blue eyes that seemed to capture his soul…

The dark-haired boy sighed. But that was only to be expected really… If anyone had just _forgotten_ him like that… Especially if it was a close friend… He was sure that he'd be hurt as well…

"Naruto-kun?"

Sasuke looked up in curiosity as a female voice rang out loud and clear. A split second later, a kind-looking nurse with short brown hair and warm brown eyes came into view.

"Oh, sorry Sasuke-kun… I thought Naruto was… Hmm…" the nurse trailed off, as she searched the room hurriedly with her eyes. "Do you know where he is by any chance?"

Sasuke blinked a few time, before a cautious expression settled upon his features. "I don't know where he is… I haven't seen him since yesterday…"

The nurse looked confused. "Are you sure Sasuke-kun? I mean – isn't he taking you home?"

The Uchiha chose his words carefully. "Why would he be?"

"Well – seeing as he hasn't left your side since you arrived here 10 months ago, I was assuming that he'd take you home as well!" the nurse chuckled in amusement.

The dark-haired boy immediately froze. "10 months?" he whispered, his eyes widening in disbelief.

"Well… He refused all long term missions and only accepted basic assignments… Poor kid - I doubt that did his Hokage dream any good… So he managed to turn up everyday at 3pm latest, and 9am on non-mission days… And he always left in the early hours of the morning… I really don't know how he did it… He actually fell asleep here a few times too… Though I have to say, that chair doesn't look too comfortable…"

Sasuke's mind reeled from the information overload. Naruto? Here? Everyday for 10 months? But… Why?

_Why would Naruto do that? _

--------------------------

Two hours later, Sasuke found himself back inside the Uchiha house, although just as confused as before. 10 months… So much has changed… And then… Nothing seems to have changed at all…

He shook his head woefully. What a time to get sentimental…

"You ok, Sasuke-kun?"

The dark-haired boy was jarred out of his thoughts by a soft, almost hesitant voice. He looked into the caring green eyes of his fiancée, and was a little disturbed that he felt absolutely nothing towards her… Weren't the eyes meant to be the windows to the soul?

Then why was it that he couldn't see himself within those bright depths of green?

"Hai… I'm… I'm… just fine…" he murmured, a little distractedly. Even though he hadn't said anything about it, he had noticed their expressions… He had noticed how all the nurses within the hospital were shocked by his sudden departure without the blonde… And the enquiring way that they had looked at the pink-haired girl… It was as if… _As if they had never seen her before… _

But they were supposed to be in love right? Even Naruto had said so… But if that was true, then why hadn't she visited him?

Did she _ever_ visit him?

"Uhm… Sasuke-kun…" Sakura murmured softly. "I… I know you must be overwhelmed with everything… And… I really don't want to trouble you anymore… But… Are we… I mean…" she trailed off as an unnatural flush lit up her face. "Are we… Are we still getting married?"

The Uchiha froze as he stared into warm green eyes that seemed to glow with hope. _Were they still getting married? _Well… Nothing had changed, right? So technically, he should ready to pledge his devotion towards the pink-haired girl… And judging by Naruto's statements that he had been totally enamoured with his fiancée, he should be more than enthusiastic about getting hitched, right?

Then why did it feel so _wrong_?

"I…" he started, then paused, unsure of what to say…

"It's ok Sasuke-kun…" Sakura interrupted, even as the hope in her eyes dimmed away. "We still have lots of time…"

The raven-haired boy nodded in agreement. _They had all the time in the world… _

---------------------------

When Sasuke woke up early the next morning, he found 2 pale and slender arms wrapped tightly around his torso. He immediately tumbled out of bed in shock, only to meet a pair of sleep-ridden green eyes.

"Sasuke-kun?" she mumbled, in weary confusion. "What are you doing?"

"I…" the dark-haired boy took a deep breath as he forced his heart rate to slow down. What _was_ he doing anyway? Why was he acting so surprised? It was only Sakura… It was only her arms wrapped around him… And they were going to get married soon… So it was ok… It was normal, wasn't it?

Then why did it feel as if he had just committed the ultimate betrayal?

"Come back to bed silly…" the pink-haired girl murmured.

Sasuke swallowed heavily, before getting unsteadily onto his feet. "I'm not tired," he lied, even as his muscles protested against the sudden movements.

"But…" Sakura squinted as he gazed at the bedside clock. "It's only 6am…"

"I'm going out for a walk…" was all the dark-haired boy murmured, before he grabbed some clothes and left the room.

The pink-haired girl sighed. She knew that his sudden devotion was too good to last…

------------------------

Sasuke walked through Konoha village with quick and steady strides. The shops and stalls were just setting up, and the few people that were around gave him shocked and incredulous stares.

_"Is that… Is that Uchiha Sasuke?" _

_"I thought he was dead…" _

_"Shh… Not so loud!!" _

_"Well he certainly doesn't look dead…" _

_"I heard he's suffering from amnesia…" _

But the Uchiha ignored them all.

He walked on briskly, oblivious to everything around him but for the growing dread that was accumulating within his stomach. He felt sick – waking up to those arms around him, waking up to that too flowery scent of the pink-haired girl…

_But why?_ Why did he feel that way? She was going to be his wife, damn it! He wasn't meant to feel weird around her, let alone nauseous!

God, just what had the coma done to him?

He walked on as conflicting thoughts surged through his mind, ignoring his surroundings as they rushed by, not even realising as he stepped into the dense forest upon the village outskirts.

And why the hell was he feeling so guilty for? It almost felt as if he had cheated on someone… Which was _totally_ absurd!

The dark-haired boy chuckled humourlessly. It wasn't even as if he had _slept_ with her… They had merely fallen asleep in the same bed… She had understood – he was too tired, too confused to do anything… And yet it still felt _so_ wrong… _Why_ did it feel so wrong? Wasn't he _meant_ to love Sakura?

So why did waking up next to her spark up such strong feelings of guilt?

And then there was his dream… He had dreamt about _that_ boy, and no matter how hard he tried, he just _couldn't_ erase those haunting blue eyes from his mind… The dream didn't even make sense - they were simply walking – just innocently walking side by side - and yet the Uchiha felt this frightening sense of calm fulfilment… As if nothing mattered anymore, and that everything would be alright…

_As if he had finally come home. _

Sasuke sighed in frustration. Everything was just so confusing… Nothing made sense anymore… Nothing –

The dark-haired boy found himself stumbling unsteadily into a wide clearing. Black eyes widened in disbelief as they took in the sight of an enchanting lake in front of him. And sitting on a rock facing the expanse of glittering water was the main source of his confusion…

_It was the blonde from within his dreams… _

---------------------------

Naruto had been sitting quietly by the lake ever since nightfall. He didn't know why he was there – but as soon his troubled thoughts invaded his mind, his feet had automatically carried him towards the water's edge… He smiled softly – at least the unintentional prolonged visit hadn't been a _total_ waste… He had finally seen his first ever sunrise over the lake… And it had been truly _breathtaking_… And earth-shatteringly _beautiful_…

Blue eyes snapped alert as soon as quiet rustling was heard from behind him. Naruto immediately turned towards the source of the sound, only to come face to face with the boy that had permanently occupied his thoughts and dreams…

_Sasuke… _What was Sasuke doing here? And at such early hours of the morning?

Naruto couldn't help but stare – he couldn't help but freeze and stare into those black depths that seemed to swirl with confusion… It was almost like a dream – another wild hallucination… That Sasuke… _That he… _

"I… Naruto isn't it?"

The blonde tensed. To hear that voice say his name again… If only... If only his dark eyes weren't so blank… If only they weren't so dull… Then maybe…

_Maybe he could've pretended that nothing had changed… _

"Aa…" Naruto murmured, suddenly feeling extremely insecure. It was their first ever meeting out of the hospital – their first ever informal encounter alone… And he couldn't help but feel extremely apprehensive about the whole situation… To have him so close…

_And yet so far…_

Sasuke seemed to hesitate on the spot for a moment, before finally making up his mind and walking towards the blonde. Naruto felt his stomach shift uncomfortably… What was the Uchiha trying to do? Why the hell was he out here anyway, especially at this time of the morning? Wasn't he supposed to be at home?

_With Sakura? _

"What are you doing here?" the blonde immediately blurted out, his tone harsher and colder than he had intended. He couldn't… _He just couldn't do this_… Not now… It was too much of a risk… It was a risk to get too close… Letting go once was painful enough…

_He wasn't sure if could let go all over again… _

"I couldn't sleep."

Naruto almost jumped out of his skin as he felt the raven-haired boy brush against him. The scent of the Uchiha instantly overwhelmed his senses, choking him, suffocating him… Reminding him of what he had lost… Reminding him of what he could never have…

_He felt his heart break all over again… _

"I… I got to go…" The blonde immediately jumped off the rock, even as he tried to smother the pain that was threatening to engulf him from within. He couldn't… he just couldn't stay… Not like this… Not with _him_ so close… It just hurt too much…

_God, why did it hurt so much? _

"No, wait…"

Naruto suddenly felt an electric spark shoot up his wrist, before he was gently tugged away from his hasty departure. He glanced at the image of his hand, held softly within the Uchiha's grasps… A deep sense of déjà vu overcame him…

_'It was like that time… At the hospital… When he woke up holding my hand…' _

Naruto shook his head to remove the unwanted thoughts, even as his eyes started to sting and well up with tears. It was hard to believe that the scene at the hospital happened only 2 days ago… A mere 48 hours ago… _So much has happened since then… _

_So much had been lost since then…_

"Stay…" the word was whispered, pleading…

The blonde reluctantly gazed into warm dark eyes, only to feel his throat constrict at the sight. Those eyes… Those intense eyes that used to look at him with so much love and passion… Now there was only blank confusion… And uncertainty.

_And that had hurt the most… _

Naruto roughly yanked himself out of the Uchiha's firm yet gentle grasp. "I have to go…" he murmured, his voice trembling, even as he forced himself to turn away from those eyes… The eyes that invaded every single moment of his life…

"No, wait…" the voice was on the verge of desperation.

The blonde managed a small smile, before turning away with an air of finality. "Go home, Sasuke…"

_"Go home to where you belong…" _

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**End part 1 **

Ok guys, before you guys all go flame me, let me get a few things straight ;;… Personally, I didn't think this was very well written… But gah... It needed to be done, right? I actually much prefer the first ending, so if anyone finds this alternative ending lame, then please just ignore it!! (although you might wana read part 2… **Part 2 gets better, I promise!**)

There will be one more post to this story… I hope to get it up soon. And trust me, it'll be very happy, lovey and dovey!! (yeh I know this one kinda lacked in the fluff department but bleh)

I hope I didn't disappoint u guys too much… .

Ja.


	2. I couldn't bear to lose you again

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Naruto. And probably never will!  
**Title**: I think I better leave right now – alternative chapter 20 - **part II**  
**Author**: Purrfectly679 - e-mail purrfectly679 'at' for comments and suggestions. Feedback highly appreciated.  
**Rating**: R, angst, bad language, slight AU. SakuSasu, SasuNaru.  
**Notes**: OK ok last chapter wasn't very happy... Lol I hope this makes up for it!!

Wah... Sooo many reviews... [_goes starry eyed]_ thank you so, so, so much!! I lub u all!! [_gives out pocky!_]

To **Ochiba** and **LQ** - lol I don't think I would do an arc... Thinking of writing that much kinda scares me ;; and to **chibi uchiha** - LOL at the plushie scene!!

This ish dedicated to the lubly **D.A** - tenku for the lubly email and mega long review!! I will reply as soon as I get some sleep LOL zzz... (writing takes a lot outta ya Oo)

**Previously**: Sasuke wakes up in hospital... Only to forget everything he's ever known about Naruto.

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During the next couple of days, troubling thoughts of the boy named Naruto filtered in and out of Sasuke's head. And no matter how hard he tried, the bright boy with the impossibly blue eyes would just not let his mind rest.

Time seemed to crawl yet leap by simultaneously, leaving Sasuke dizzy and disorientated. The feeling of confusion frustrated him no end. Just why couldn't he get the blonde out of his mind? And why were some of his thoughts so… so deliciously _forbidden_? Why did he imagine kissing the smaller boy – somehow just _knowing_ that his lips would be soft and sweet – wanting to taste him, wanting to touch him…

And why the hell was he having such _inappropriate_ thoughts anyway? They were supposed to be ex-team-mates, right? And ex-team-mates weren't supposed to have thoughts like _that_ about each other – let alone sexy thoughts about _male_ comrades!

And Sakura? She was his fiancée right? They were supposed to be in love… They were supposed to get married… They were supposed to be happy – hell, they were _supposed_ to be a lot of things…

But why was it that when he looked into her eyes, he felt nothing but a horrible sense of emptiness? Why was it that when he could feel her presence nearby, he felt absolutely nothing but a blank void deep within his heart? And why couldn't he even touch her without feeling a sickening concoction of guilt and nausea?

And ever since the first night back, when he had woken up amid her warm arms, he had immediately reclaimed the spare bedroom on the ground floor…

_That wasn't normal was it? _

Or had he always been like that? Maybe he just abhorred human contact? It wasn't unusual - maybe he just liked to keep himself to himself…? After all, he had experienced a very lonely childhood, so it was probably natural to prefer solitude to other people's company…

But if that was true, then why all the strange thoughts about the blonde haired boy?

Sasuke frowned. Even though he wasn't good with feelings, he knew when something felt wrong. And this whole scenario felt _totally_ wrong. No doubt about it now - he was definitely missing something…

And he intended to find out what. And soon.

----------------------------

"Sakura?"

Sakura paused at the sound of her fiancé's voice, as her heart pounded furiously within her chest. Could it be? Was Sasuke going to try and make conversation? The Uchiha had almost completely reverted back to his former impassive self since recovering from the accident… In fact, he seemed to speak even less than he used to… If that was at all possible…

And now? Was he _finally_ going to open up?

The pink-haired girl frowned uncertainly as she dried her hands on a tea towel. What the hell was going on anyway? Something must be up… After all – he had hardly said even a word to her ever since that morning they woke up together… Then again, maybe that _was_ her fault…. She should never have rushed him…

'_Baka Sakura_…' she silently scolded herself. If only she weren't so desperate to feel his arms around her – to feel _loved_ for once… Then maybe things wouldn't have turned out this way… She had such a good chance to make everything right, and once again she had lost it due to her own foolishness…

"Sakura?" Sasuke repeated, his voice still as monotonous as ever.

Biting back a sigh, the pink-haired girl immediately turned away from her washing up to faced the expressionless dark-haired boy with an air of optimism.

"H-Hai, Sasuke-kun…?"

"I… Can you…"

Sakura waited patiently as the dark-haired boy seemed to hesitate on the spot. Her curiosity immediately perked up – what question could be so important that even the 'aloof Uchiha' seemed almost reluctant to voice?

"Can you… Can you tell me about… N-Naruto?"

Sakura immediately froze, as her blood roared furiously within her ears. _Naruto… He said… Naruto…_ Her heart began to pick up pace, the pounding beat resonating loudly within her chest. _Why Naruto?! What did he want to know about… About that thing?! That thing that had ruined her life…! That thing that had ruined BOTH their lives! _

Why was everything going wrong again? Why did _he_ have to get involved again?! Sasuke was _hers_! She finally had a chance to make things right - how dare he come and mess everything up again?! Sasuke was _hers_ damn it! _HERS_!

"W-Why do y-you want to know about him?" the pink-haired girl whispered thickly, even as her inner conscience screamed at herself for sounding so weak and insecure. She didn't even realise that she was clutching the tabletop so hard that her knuckles turned white from the pressure.

The Uchiha frowned at her question, before his expressionless mask flickered uncertainly. "He was our team-mate, was he not?"

The pink-haired girl felt her stomach shift uncomfortably, as she frantically searched for the right words use. She shouldn't be too surprised about his question, right? They _were_ team-mates after all!! And it was _just_ a question – it wasn't as if he was going to run off again…!! Was he? _Was he? _

She didn't realise that her pupils were dilating wildly, betraying the turmoil that was the surging within her.

"He… He was…" she stated carefully, although the twinge of hysteria to her voice was unmistakeable. "But… That was a-ages ago…"

"Then why doesn't he come to see me?"

"M-Maybe he's b-busy…"

"Then I'm going to see him." Sasuke's voice seemed almost contemplative, before ending on a somewhat convinced tone.

"NO!" Sakura immediately covered her mouth as the one brash word came hurtling out from under her defences. Shit! She wasn't meant to say that – what if he suspected something? _She couldn't let him suspect anything_! If he suspected, then he might remember, and if he remembered… Then shit! God – why was she so _fucking_ stupid…!?

"I mean… He doesn't l-like to be bothered… If h-he wants to s-see you, then he'll come round… He k-knows where you l-live…" she fervently hoped and prayed that the raven-haired boy wouldn't see through her little white lie… But it was for the best! As long as she kept the two apart, then maybe he never needed to remember…

After all, weren't some memories better left forgotten?

Sasuke seemed to waver uncertainly on the spot before nodding curtly and walking away.

Sakura sighed sadly in a mixture of weariness and relief. That was too close… That was _much too_ close…

Maybe it was time to hasten the wedding.

----------------------------------

One week later found the dark-haired boy resting in bed, mind still captivated within a deep sense of confusion. The blonde would just not let his conscience rest, as bright yet hauntingly blue eyes persistently occupied his thoughts and dreams… He was still sleeping in the spare bedroom – for some strange reason, his body and mind protested furiously against the thought of sharing with his future wife, with the women he _supposedly_ loved…

He sighed wearily. He seriously doubted things could get anymore confusing…

His attempts at finding out more about the boy named Naruto had also ended rather unsuccessfully. Although it was obvious that Sakura had lied to him, what she _had_ said had undoubtedly rang true…

If the blonde had _truly_ wanted to see him, then he would've visited by now… After all, Naruto _knew_ where he lived - it wasn't like there were any other Uchiha mansions to get confused with!! So if he didn't come and visit, did that mean that he didn't care?

And just why did that thought unsettle him so much?

The Uchiha frowned as he rubbed his eyes wearily. He really did NOT appreciate his new found insomniac traits… Thankfully he was still removed from his ninja duties, due to his recovery status, which meant that he could sleep deep into the afternoon if he desired to…

Clenching his eyes shut in frustration, the raven-haired boy forced his body to relax, willing himself to go to sleep. Almost immediately, an image of the boy Naruto popped up into his mind, smiling gently as the wind softly caressed his silky skin, golden hair gleaming brilliantly in the warm sunlight… Soft pink lips curved upwards, glinting teasingly, just _begging_ to be kissed…

Sasuke growled softly in irritation. It looked like it was going to be another sleepless night…

And how he hated sleepless nights.

------------------------------

Shikamaru sighed in annoyance as he dutifully followed his girlfriend towards the big, ominous house that belonged to the Uchiha's. He fought hard to suppress a groan of irritation – why did everything have to be so troublesome?! He was _supposed_ to be enjoying a nice, normal Sunday morning… He wasn't even _meant_ to be awake at this hour, let alone be up and walking… And walking to see _Sasuke_ nonetheless…

He looked up into the cloudless sky in defeat – just what had he done to deserve all this?!

The Uchiha was just too damn troublesome for his own good – just thinking about the events in past year made his head hurt! He had visited the boy in hospital a few times, when his mission schedule permitted, and he specifically remembered Naruto being there every single time… And talking about Naruto… Bleh that boy was probably the most troublesome person out of the whole entire village! Those two sure made one heck of a volatile team…

And probably one hell of an explosive couple.

Naturally, he had spoken to Ino about her opinion over the entire situation, and to begin with she had been rather concerned for her pink-haired friend… But she couldn't deny the fact that Naruto had been dealt the worst set of circumstances. To be cruelly forgotten by someone he had looked after for 10 whole months - someone he had obviously cared for… Did the gods really have to be _that_ ruthless?

And now what were they supposed to do? Were they supposed to play along and just _pretend_ that Naruto was no more than just a 'friend' to Sasuke? And what about Sakura? What about her happiness? She deserved to be happy too, right?

_Just what was the right thing to do? _

Shikamaru sighed wearily. After much consideration, he had only managed to come to one universal conclusion…

And that was someone was going to get hurt…

_Someone was going to get really hurt… _

----------------------------

"Shikamaru… You're so slow!!" Ino sighed in annoyance at the trailing form of her moping lover. They were only going to visit the Uchiha's for god's sake – why did he _always_ have to make such a big deal out of _everything_?! It's not like she had asked him to sell his soul to the devil or anything!!

She heard him mutter something under his breath, consisting of the words 'women' and 'troublesome', but flippantly chose to ignore it. Gee – some men could be so childish…

Suppressing a sigh, the blonde haired girl walked on, as dismal thoughts flickered furiously in and out of her mind. She desperately hoped that Sakura was ok - she hadn't been doing too well when Sasuke had been in hospital… In fact – during that time, she couldn't recall the pink-haired girl ever leaving the dark confines of her room…

She loved Sakura… She really did. She was her best friend – she was smart, funny… She was nice to have around… So she should be on her side, right? She should encourage – no, she should _support_ her relationship with Sasuke… They deserved to be happy, no matter the circumstances… Especially after everything they had been through…

And it was for the best, right? The Uchiha needed a heir… And it wasn't as if Naruto could produce him one. Maybe it was best if things were left this way? Sakura would be happy, Sasuke would be happy -

Ino sighed unhappily. '_But would he? Would he really be happy_?' her conscience smirked knowingly. Would he _truly_ be happy with her? The blonde girl wanted to say yes – she wanted to believe it was true… After all, Sakura _was_ her best friend – she would willingly lay down her _life_ for her… _But_…

But what if he wouldn't? What if Sasuke _couldn't_ be happy with her? What if that indescribable emotion she had seen in his mysterious eyes – what if that _passion_, that _love_… What if it was all _real_?

And then what? What was she supposed to do about it? Tell Sasuke? Tell Sasuke that '_no, you might not remember, but the truth is, you were (and probably still are) madly in love with your blonde team-mate Naruto…?_'

But could she? Could she _really_ tell him that? Even if it was the right thing to do - even if it meant two happy people instead of one - could she _really_ break her best friend's heart?

No… She didn't think so either.

--------------------------------

Sasuke rubbed his eyes wearily as the sound of the front door clicking shut alerted his groggy senses. Familiar voices could be heard, but the Uchiha was still too sleep logged and irritated to determine whom they belonged to. He glanced at his clock – 9am - before fighting the urge to swear creatively at the gods… Didn't they know how hard it was to finally fall asleep?! And to be interrupted so soon…!

The dark-haired boy wearily dragged himself out of bed. Might as well get up – he probably wouldn't be able to get back to sleep anyway… Maybe he should go and 'death glare' the unwanted visitors for a minute or two… What kinda idiots visited so early in the morning anyway? Were they stupid or just plain stupid?

Dragging a hand hazardously through his hair, Sasuke cursed softly under his breath, before making his way to the bathroom…

-----------------------------

Shikamaru tried to keep his expression neutral as the two girls in front of him squealed and hugged excitedly, as if they hadn't seen each other in years. He fought the overwhelming urge to roll his eyes – it had only been what? 10 days?

"I'm so sorry for not visiting sooner, but that last mission was so disruptive…" he heard his girlfriend say.

Seeing as he was probably going to be ignored for the next half hour, the lazy-ninja took time out to look around and observe his surroundings. The pink-haired girl looked normal, somewhat healthier even… That was a good sign, wasn't it? That probably meant that things were going well – or rather, as well as things could possibly go with the destructive Uchiha…

Che. He never knew why girls liked him so much anyway – he had no sense of humour, he was a lame conversationalist and he had a bad habit of death-glaring anything that moved… Add that to the fact that Sasuke was probably the least romantic person on earth, it _just_ about brought his interest level and appeal to about a minus 10…

So… Just what _was_ everyone attracted to again…?

And speaking of the Uchiha – where was he anyway?

Almost as if on cue, the sound of a door slamming greeted his ears.

"Ah… Sorry about that… Sasuke's been… having problems sleeping lately… Recovering…"

Shikamaru _just about_ managed to tune out the rest of the conversation.

----------------------------

Sasuke suppressed a yawn as the hot water pelted down his back and soothed his aching muscles. _Shikamaru and Ino_… He idly wondered what the two were doing at his house so early in the morning… He sighed heavily - he hoped that it wasn't _another_ one of those wedding talks… Sakura had tried speaking to him about the upcoming occasion for a few days now, suggesting on more than one occasion that they should hold the ceremony within the next month. And as expected, he did nothing to agree nor disagree with her wishes…

To be honest – he didn't really care.

Anyways – having the wedding within the month was stupid. They still had so much to sort out – wasn't the wedding day supposed to be one of the most important days of your life? And what about the guests? And the venue? And the maid of honour and the best man?

'_Well_,' Sasuke reflected, '_Ino is most definitely going to be the maid of honour, no doubt about that…_' But what about the best man? The dark-haired boy frowned – as far as he could remember, he didn't really form that many close bonds with anybody… And to be honest, he couldn't really say that he _liked_ any of the other ninjas… Sure he didn't hate them… But…

Well – he hardly spoke to Neji, Chouji and Kiba… Shino didn't speak full stop. Gaara lived too far away, and he seriously doubted that the redheaded boy would actually _enjoy_ a ceremony that celebrated happiness and life… Then there was Lee – but he was a little _too_ animated for his liking…

So he really only had Shikamaru… Unless you counted Naruto…

_Naruto_… Sasuke's heart lurched at the thought of the blonde. He was their team-mate right? He would probably be the best choice… After all, if he ever had a really close friend, Sasuke was willing to bet his life that it was the bright eyed boy…

Somehow… He just had that kinda appeal.

----------------------------

30 minutes later found the lazy ninja of Konoha on the verge of poking his own eyeballs out as a form self entertainment. Girl talk – bleh! Where was Sasuke when you needed him?! His grunts and 'hns' were probably miles more interesting than this…

Almost immediately, a wet and moody looking dark-haired boy emerged into the room. With a glare.

Shikamaru hastily retracted his thoughts. Yes Sasuke was probably more interesting – but he definitely wasn't in the mood to die just yet.

"Good morning Sasuke-kun!" Ino greeted, with a big smile – well, as big as a smile could get when addressing someone who looked as if they wanted nothing better than to tear you from limb to limb.

_'Oh well. At least Sasuke's acting normal… Doesn't seem like his coma affected his personality in the slightest…' _

Shikamaru frowned. The Uchiha had definitely seen better days… Hell – he looked as if he hadn't slept in weeks…! Didn't he know that sleep was imperative during the recovery process? Just what the hell was he playing at anyway?! Didn't he want to get better or something?

"Ohayo Sasuke-kun… We were just discussing the wedding…"

The raven-haired boy glared some more.

"Er… We were saying how nice it would be if Shikamaru was the best man…"

WHAT?! The lazy ninja immediately sent a panicky look towards his girlfriend, which all but screamed '_whatdahellareyouplayingat_?!' Him? Best man?! _For Sasuke_?! Hell – they hardly even spoke to one another! He wouldn't be surprised if the Uchiha hated his guts! And why did no one inform him of this crazy, CRAZY idea?!

Did anyone even _intend_ to?!

The death-glare immediately focussed upon him. Great, just great…! There went his master plan of trying to stay unnoticed. He considered fainting on the spot as a means of extracting himself from the situation, but figured that staying alert in front of the enemy was probably a little wiser. Gah this was just too troublesome!

"Naruto will be the best man." Sasuke's voice was cold, and firm, leaving no room for argument. Shikamaru might've felt mildly insulted if he weren't so overwhelmed with shock.

"Naruto?!" all 3 voices chorused at once.

Sasuke glared a bit more. "He was our team-mate." He stopped curtly, offering no more explanation to his choice, nor to his sudden and voluntary contribution.

That's when the dark-pony tailed man realised that Sakura was trembling.

"Sasuke… I…" the pink-haired girl paused, as she hastily tried to keep her bottom lip from quivering. "I don't think… I… N-Naruto wouldn't be a w-wise choice… He isn't… He isn't what you think he is!!"

"Well how the hell am I supposed to know when you won't tell me a fucking thing about him?" the raven-haired boy all but roared, his suppressed anger and fury finally breaking through.

Shikamaru's mouth dropped open in bewilderment. Did… Did Sasuke just speak in complete sentences?? And did… Did he just _shout_?! The silent, stoic boy _shouted_? Bloody hell – what the hell was going to happen next? He wasn't sure if he'd be surprised if Shino suddenly announced his new position as a chat show presenter!!

"The doctors said not to push it remember?" Sakura cried.

"Does look like I care what the fucking doctors think?!" Sasuke shouted, his fists clenched tight in anger.

"No! You don't seem to care about anything anymore!" Sakura cried miserably. "You should be more concerned about me! You don't know one damned thing about me, and yet you're still chasing after him! What so fucking special about him anyway?"

"He's MY team-mate! I _deserve_ to know EVERYTHING about him!"

Shikamaru blinked uncomfortably. My, my… Sasuke sure was a possessive one.

"What about me, huh? Ever think of getting to know me? You know, your future WIFE? Damn it Sasuke - I love you so much, but sometimes I get the impression that you care more about him than you ever cared about me!"

With those final words of frustration, the pink haired girl ran blindly to her room, with a very concerned Ino following closely behind her. No one missed the tears that trailed generously down her face – the tears of hurt, pain and loneliness.

Shikamaru suddenly felt very awkward. He hated getting involved in 'personal' arguments… Che, people were so troublesome… Especially the Uchihas…

And now he was alone with Sasuke. Could his day possibly get any worse?

--------------------------------

"Tell me about him." Dark, fiery eyes turned to the only other inhabitant of the room.

Shikamaru blanched, frozen on the spot.

"Tell me about him." Sasuke repeated, his words firm and resolved. He didn't care anymore – he didn't care about the relapses, he didn't care about the doctor's advice… He wanted – no, he _needed_ to know about Naruto… He _needed_ to know why his heart skipped a beat whenever he thought about him, he _needed_ to know why he couldn't get him out of his mind… He needed to know _why_ Sakura's words were true… That he _did_ care about the blonde more than he cared about her…

And that scared him more than anything…

Shikamaru shifted around uncomfortably. "Uhm… You see… I'm not really the best person to ask - "

"Just tell me." Sasuke interrupted, his voice cold and dangerous. His eyes gleamed darkly, promising merciless pain to anyone who even _dared_ to defy him. He had no time for chitchat, and it was obvious that the lazy ninja was trying to talk his way around the topic. He wasn't going to tolerate it anymore…

_He had had enough. _

"Aiiiye…" black eyebrows furrowed in nervous anticipation before straightening up. "Uhmm… Hehe… Well… He was your team-mate… And uhm… Well… You used to be on the same team??"

The Uchiha glared.

Shikamaru shrank back, before coughing uneasily as a futile diversion.

"Where does he live?"

"Uhm… Sasuke! Remember what the doctors said? You know, about the relapses? So maybe its not such a good idea to push - "

"Where does he live?" the dark-haired boy repeated, his voice a little louder and a little more demanding. It obvious that his patience was wearing thin.

"Aii…" Shikamaru cringed, before sighing heavily in defeat. It was official – he now hated his girlfriend. It was _her_ fault for waking him up so early, and _her_ fault for dragging him to the Uchiha madhouse… And it was _her_ fault for getting him involved!! Gah, how he hated getting involved….

It was so damn troublesome!

5 minutes later, a very smug yet determined Sasuke left the house.

-----------------------------------

_Knock, knock! _

Naruto furrowed deeper into his covers. It was _way_ too early for visitors, especially since he started suffering from insomnia. He had, what? 3? Maybe 4 hours of sleep at most? He really didn't have the time nor energy for this…

_Knock, knock, knock! _

'_Hmm… Not again…_' he thought irritably, as he delved deeper and deeper into his warm duvet. Maybe if he just ignored the person, they'd get the message and go away… It worked once, so maybe it'll work again…

_Knock, kno – _

Ahh… Peace at last. The blonde smiled softly in contentment before closing his eyes… Hehe… Ignoring people as a tactic was much more successful than he had originally thought! Maybe now he could try and drift off into another peaceful sl –

"Naruto."

Blue eyes snapped open before his small body abruptly tumbled out of bed. The blonde looked up, heart beating wildly, where his stunned gaze met a pair of intense black eyes. Sasuke?! What the hell was he doing here?

"How did you get in here?" Naruto blurted out in a state of semi-panic, not realising the true extent of his words. What time was it anyway?! Wasn't he supposed to be at home? And what the hell did he want?

"I let myself in," came the simple and curt answer.

Blue eyes widened in utter shock. He just… _let himself in_… Doesn't that count as trespassing?! And how could he say it so damn coolly?! Was self-intrusion a frequent pastime of his or something?! Maybe the coma affected him more than he let on…

"Uh…" The blonde was lost for words. What could he say? Maybe this was just another dream… After all, why would Sasuke stand in his room so damn early in the morning anyway? Yup… _Just another dream_…

"We need to talk."

"Hmm…" Naruto stretched out his aching neck before hopping back into bed. _No need to answer a dream_… Now if he just shut his eyes, maybe he could force himself to go back to sleep… Hmm… So warm…

"What the hell are you doing?" The raven haired boy seemed almost offended, his expression contorted into a scowl.

"Hmm… This dream is loud…" The blonde mumbled, before nuzzling his head snugly under his pillow. If it had been anybody else, they wouldn't have heard his whispered words… But unfortunately, or fortunately however you might see it, Sasuke wasn't _just_ anybody… He was a ninja… And a damn good one at that!

"You dream about me?"

Naruto felt a tingle go up his spine as the words were whispered ever so softly against his ear. Hmm… This dream was getting a little too close… And a little _too_ real…! He could almost feel the warm breath caressing his skin…

"Hmm… Shut up…" he murmured, before instinctively reaching out and grabbing the Uchiha's arm, promptly pulling the shocked boy into bed with him.

And almost instantaneously, he drifted into a peaceful slumber, for the first time in many days.

-----------------------------

Sasuke froze as he felt the blonde tighten his arms around his waist, before the smaller boy snuggled up to him a little more. This was too close… This was _waaay_ too close for comfort… Wasn't it?! After all – he couldn't even stand it when Sakura touched him, let alone hug him so intimately…

And he was an Uchiha damn it! He wasn't some stupid teddy bear…!

But this boy was so warm… _And he smelled so nice_…

And he _was_ tired – especially after all those sleepless nights… And did he mention how comfortable it was…?

A few minutes later found the two boys fast asleep, limbs woven intricately together, with Sasuke's chin resting gently upon a mound of soft blonde hair…

Both settled into a peaceful slumber, secure in the warmth of each other's embrace. And if either of them had been wary over the concept of perfection before, their scepticisms had all but disappeared.

--------------------------

Naruto found himself unconsciously purring as he made his way back reluctantly from the deep realms of sleep. It was so _warm_… And for the first time in a long, long time, he actually felt relaxed and well-rested… It was amazing what sufficient sleep could do for you…

He tried to stretch, before noticing that his arms were locked around… _something_… And that _something_ was extremely warm… And smelled _damn_ good… The blonde snuggled deeper and deeper into the embrace, relishing the gentle heartbeat that strummed consistently in his ear….

Wait… Heartbeat?!

Impossible blue eyes snapped open, only to be caught within the dark, stormy gaze of one Uchiha Sasuke.

Wait… _Sasuke_?! What the _hell_ was he doing here?!

The blonde bolted upright as soon as he realised that the '_something'_ he had been cuddling up to was none other than his ex-team-mate's fiancé!

"I'm so sorry!" he blurted out, as his heart pumped erratically in his chest. He could feel his cheeks flush as his blood rushed rapidly to the surface of his skin. What the hell was going on? What was Sasuke doing in his room anyway, let alone in his bed?! And how long had he been there?!

_'Oh my god, Sasuke was in my bed…' _

Oh my god, did something _happen_?!

"Naruto…" the Uchiha's voice was hesitant, and Naruto was shocked to find the usually composed boy looking a little insecure. "I… earlier… You said something -"

"I'm sorry!" the blonde interrupted in a state of panic, as his words tumbled hazardously out of his mouth. "I wasn't thinking! I was probably dreaming so just ignore everything I said…! I'm an idiot anyway, and I say -"

"You said you dreamed about me…"

"- things I don't mean sometimes and I… Huh?" Naruto halted mid-rant, as the words slowly registered within his sub-conscious.

"Do you dream about me?"

Blue eyes widened in surprise. Did he… dream about him? What kinda question was that…?

"I…" the blonde was stuck for words. Of course he dreamed about him! He dreamed about him everyday…

_And he thought about him even more… _

"Do you dream about me?" Sasuke repeated softly, a hint of impatience edging his voice.

Naruto stayed silent for a few seconds, his eyes dull and downcast, before slowly getting out of his bed. He turned his back on the raven-haired boy, before walking dejectedly out of the room. He couldn't do this… He couldn't _just_ sit there and answer his question… Not when so many feelings and emotions were threatening to break free…

"Go home Sasuke," he murmured quietly. "You don't belong here."

"Naruto!"

The blonde suppressed a flinch at the harsh tone of the other boy's voice.

"Naruto, don't you walk away from me!"

Blue eyes clenched shut as he continued to walk away. He couldn't handle all this… Not Sasuke… Not _now_…

"Naruto, don't you fucking dare walk away from me!"

Almost immediately, before the sound of ruffling fabric even registered in his mind, a firm yet gentle hand gripped securely at his wrists.

Naruto whirled around, his expression bordering on the edge of fury. "What the hell do you want from me?" he yelled, his anger, frustration and the unfairness of the whole situation overwhelming him. It wasn't fair! To have him so close… And so goddamn tempting… And knowing that there wasn't a fucking thing that he could do about it!

"I want you to answer my damn question!"

"NO!" the blonde all but screamed, as he struggled uselessly against the iron grip that successfully kept him from fleeing.

"Is that a no, you're not going to answer, or a no, you don't dream about me?" Sasuke's voice was rough, aggravated – a major contrast to his usually cool, and icy exterior.

"Let me go!"

"Not until you answer my question!"

"I have nothing to say to you!"

"Well I have a lot to say to you!"

Naruto's breath caught in his throat as the sudden close proximity of the dark-haired boy threw him off guard. When the hell did he manage to get so close anyway? And why did his wrist feel as if it were on fire?

"Tell me Naruto…" Sasuke whispered, his voice apprehensive, almost desperate. Naruto clenched his eyes shut in frustration, as he frantically suppressed the urge to lean into the gentle whisper… The soothing caress on heated skin… "Tell me… Do you dream about me?"

The blonde bit down on his lower lip, restraining the shivers that travelled down his spine as the Uchiha's lips lingered a little too close for comfort.

"Do you dream about me?" the raven-haired boy repeated. "Because... I… _Because I dream about you…_" the last words were murmured so softly that Naruto almost didn't hear them.

Almost.

The blonde pulled away in shock.

"I'm getting married in a few weeks, Naruto…" the words were soft, hesitant, confused, but the eyes – they were ablaze with passion, with almost _frightening_ fervour. "And… I…"

_"I can't stop thinking about you…" _

Blue eyes clenched shut in pain.

"Why, Naruto?" Sasuke's voice trembled in a mixture of frustrated confusion. "Why won't you leave me alone? Why won't you just get out of my head? Tell me, Naruto… Did something… Did something happen between us?"

The blonde backed away, before shaking his head in vehement denial. "No…" he choked out unsteadily, even as his heart screamed at him from the inside. Why was Sasuke making everything so difficult for him? Why the hell won't he just leave him alone?

_Why did he have to reopen all the healing wounds? _

"You're lying to me!" the dark-haired boy clenched his fists tight in anger. "Why are you lying to me?"

"I'm not… lying to you…"

"Yes you are!" Sasuke yelled, his voice crumbling under all the emotion that welled up in his throat. "Don't lie to me Naruto!"

"I'm…not…"

"Why are you still trying to deny it?" the words were whispered, desperate, and before he could even blink, Naruto suddenly found himself once again caught within the Uchiha's tight embrace. "How can you say _nothing_ happened between us?"

Frantic hands clutched desperately at Naruto's face, fingers woven possessively in blonde hair. "If what you say is true… If nothing_… If nothing_ _ever_ happened between us…" Sasuke's voice was hoarse, pleading. "Then why do I dream about touching you?"

Blue eyes shut in defeat as soft thumb pads stroked lovingly over trembling eyelids, before trailing downwards to caress pink lips. He couldn't do this… Why was Sasuke doing this to him? He couldn't handle it… Not now…

_Not after giving him up for the last time… _

"Why do I dream about touching you like this?" the Uchiha's voice was a dry whisper, gruff – as if somehow suppressing the emotion that was threatening to overwhelm him from within. "Why do I want to hold you? And feel your heartbeat next to mine?"

Naruto shivered as Sasuke's soft lips drifted closer and closer, the warm breath within a hair's breadth from his skin. He fought the urge to lean in closer… He couldn't! Not after everything they had gone through… Not after admitting defeat… Not after accepting that they were never meant to be… He couldn't lose him again…

_It hurt too much to lose him all over again…_

"If we weren't meant to be together," and this time, the raven-haired boy's voice did crack and break down, his voice barely even a whisper. "Then why do I dream about kissing you? Why do I want to do this…"

Softly, and almost hesitantly, Naruto felt soft, sweet lips brush against his – just a tender touch of skin on skin, but the love and confusion conveyed in the kiss was undeniable.

The blonde felt himself break down.

"Stop…" he whispered hoarsely, even as he fought the intense craving that urged him to lean closer… To lean closer towards the intoxicating lips that were hovering a mere millimetre above his own… "Don't… Don't do this to me…"

"Tell me, Naruto… If we weren't meant to be together…" Sasuke pushed on, his voice pleading, desperate… "Then why don't I ever want to let you go?" He was almost begging - begging for an answer…

"We're not meant to be…" Naruto whispered, as he once again tried to struggle out of the Uchiha's embrace. It was getting harder and harder to breathe… It was futile, hopeless…

_Everything was hopeless… _

"Don't…!" Sasuke demanded angrily, hoarsely. "Don't you _dare_ say that!"

The blonde suppressed the impulse to flinch as strong arms tightened possessively around him. He could feel the taller boy's lips upon his hair, his warm breath caressing his scalp. He could smell him - the unique scent drowning him, overwhelming him… Pulling him in and claiming him all over again…

"Don't you dare say that when you _know_ it's not true…!"

Blue eyes clenched shut in pain. Why did it have to hurt so much? Why did _everything_ have to hurt so much?

"It's wrong Sasuke… We're…" he choked, his words sounding unconvincing even to his owns ears. "We're _wrong_…" he trailed off, his voice barely above a whisper.

Naruto suddenly found himself released from the tight embrace. He immediately felt restless, uneasy – as if a big chunk of his soul had somehow been removed. He ached all over – ached for the Uchiha's warmth… For his smell… For his touch… It was then he realised that he needed him.

_He needed Sasuke more than ever. _

"How can you say that?" the question was whispered, confused, uncertain… Blue eyes met haunting black. And for the first time in his life, the dark-haired boy actually looked vulnerable, scared, afraid… His eyes spilled with heart wrenching emotion, begging, _pleading_…

_Pleading for an answer Naruto could never give… _

"How can you say that?" Sasuke repeated, his words firmer, more confident, but still with an unconcealed edge of desperation. "The way we were sleeping… 12 hours Naruto! You slept for 12 hours in my arms! Are you're telling me that you feel nothing?"

The blonde remained silent. He didn't trust himself to speak.

"Tell me Naruto!" the Uchiha clenched his fists in unrestrained frustration, his voice rising in accordance with his anger. "Tell me! Tell me you don't feel anything! Tell me you don't feel anything for me, and that you don't dream about me! Tell me you don't want me to kiss you, and that you never will!"

"I…" Naruto's voice cracked, emotion welling rapidly at his throat. "I don't…"

"Tell me you don't love me!" Sasuke stumbled over the word love, even as his voice became hoarse with bleakness and despair. "Tell me you don't love me, Naruto… Tell me, and I promise… I'll go away and never bother you again…"

"I don't…" blue eyes blinked furiously to keep back the tears, but it was futile. He was horrified to feel the first teardrop slide softly down his face. "I don't…"

_"I don't want to hurt you…"_ the blonde whispered, barely audible over the rapid splintering of his shattered heart. He didn't want to hurt him…

_He never wanted to hurt him ever again… _

"Can't you see that I'm already hurting?" the Uchiha's words were murmured softly, as if he had no more energy left to express himself. "Can't you see that your words are already hurting me more than you ever could?" Sasuke's head was lowered, his dark eyes hidden. Naruto felt his heart crumble a little more.

"I won't make you happy…" the blonde murmured softly but firmly, even as his whole body trembled from head to toe. Couldn't he see? He could _never_ make him happy… He had nothing to offer – nothing to give! No name, no reputation… Everyone hated him - he was worth _nothing_…

_And he didn't deserve to be loved. _

"You don't… You don't _understand_…" the dark-haired boy replied resolutely, and suddenly Naruto caught himself trapped within the gaze of an intense pair of black eyes – black eyes that seemed to burn a path down to his soul… Glimmering black eyes… Full of love… And trailing with silver tears…

His breath hitched painfully within his throat. _Did Sasuke know how beautiful he was when he cried…? _

"You don't understand…" the Uchiha repeated, his voice trembling and hoarse. "I can live without happiness…"

Sasuke took a cautious step forward before gently brushing away the blonde's tears. His expression was so tender and so honest that Naruto felt his heart break a little more. It wasn't fair…

_Life just wasn't fair… _

"I can live without happiness, Naruto…" Sasuke whispered, and suddenly he was standing so close that the blonde could once again feel the warmth radiating outwards from him. "_But… But I…" _

_"But I don't think I can live without you…" _

Naruto clenched his fists tightly together, even as his resolve slowly crumpled to the ground. He couldn't give in… He couldn't give in…! Not now… _Not ever_…

"Tell me, Naruto…" the Uchiha continued his verbal assault, not caring about the smaller boy's obvious aversion to his words. "Tell me… Do you love me? Do you love me as much as Sakura?"

"I…" emotion welled up in his throat.

"Answer me Naruto! Do you love me as much as her?" Sasuke demanded, his patience wearing thin, his desperation painfully exposed…

An anguished silence consumed the two - the seconds crawling by at an agonising pace…

_Until… _

"No…" the reply was soft, firm and resolved. _He had made up his mind_. Blonde hair shielded blue eyes that betrayed deeply-rooted pain. He didn't look at Sasuke – didn't see his wounded expression as everything crashed down and shattered into pieces around him. He didn't see the hopeless disbelief that welled up in dark eyes. He didn't see the pain – the excruciating pain that seemed to burn inside, nor the utter desolation that seemed to drown the taller boy from within.

_He had made up his mind._

He didn't see Sasuke reluctantly leave his side, as he dejectedly padded towards the front door to let himself out. He didn't see the final look of love and longing that the Uchiha threw his way. But he did _feel_ it. He felt it all… He felt the agony, the resentment, the anger… He felt the pain…

And he felt his soul leaving all over again...

"No… I don't love you as much as her, Sasuke…" Naruto whispered, his lips moving against his will. "I… I love…"

_"I love you so much more…" _

This time, the kiss was a little more than just a touch of skin on skin… It was a little more than just a fleeting contact. It was desperate, impulsive – an eager clash of lip and tongue, a reckless crush of heat and limbs… It was still as confused as before…

But still full of undeniable love.

And that was enough. Love was always enough.

-------------------------------------

**2 years later **

Sasuke sighed as he glanced around his messy house. Just what the hell had happened here?! The chairs were tipped sideways all over the floor, the portraits were hanging off their hooks rather awkwardly, and there seemed to be a strange pinkish liquid all over the floor. And… Were those…?

_Were those his clothes?! _

"NARUTO!!"

The dark-haired boy heard a small 'eep' before the sound of a door softly clicking shut could be heard. He rolled his eyes in exasperation. He comes home from an exhausting 3 day mission, and all his lover could do was create a mess before hiding from him. Che… And couldn't he have been a little more discreet in his '_disappearing act_?' Even a low class Genin would've been able to detect that pathetic attempt at stealth…!

Sasuke sighed. Oh well. Naruto was never going to be good at keeping quiet. Which wasn't that bad really… After all… Being noisy had its benefits!!

He still didn't remember everything all that clearly before the accident… Random memories did pop up once in a while, which gave him bizarre sensations of déjà vu, but apart from that, life went on as normal. Well… As normal as things could get with half your memories missing, and a hyperactive lover.

But things didn't really bother him… The past was in the past right? And so it should stay in the past! He didn't need his memories to know how he felt… To know what was in his heart… And anyway… He had all the time in the world to make some new memories…

In fact, he could say that he had quite a large collection of fond memories already!

Deciding to humour his lover for a little while, the raven-haired boy crept upstairs towards their shared bedroom. Smirking a little in arrogance, Sasuke edged closer and closer towards the closed door, his breathing soft, steady and controlled… Sometimes, being a ninja had its benefits…! It definitely made playing '_games'_ all that more enjoyable…!

Suddenly –

"ARGHHH!"

The door flew open, and the Uchiha found himself crumpled face first upon the wooden floor. An eager blonde stood grinning over him.

"Hello Sasuke," he smiled jauntily, as if finding his lover sprawled awkwardly all over the floor was a normal everyday occurrence. His blue eyes glinted mischievously, which usually meant that he was hiding something…

"Hello Naruto…" the Uchiha muttered, wearily, his eyes alert. Naruto hiding something was usually a bad thing… A very bad thing.

"Say, Sasuke… Whatcha doing on the floor?" the blonde grinned, as he crouched down facing the dark-haired boy.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "I was checking for scratches on the floorboard…"

"Oh _really_…"

Suddenly, the raven-haired boy found himself rolled onto his back, with a highly satisfied and smirking Naruto seated on top of him. Sasuke glared.

"I've missed you…" Naruto murmured softly, as his wove his fingers possessively into the thick strands of dark hair. His shining eyes flickered lovingly over the warm body lying under his. It amazed him – even to this day - the feelings that the Uchiha provoked within him still amazed him… To embrace his warmth, to touch his skin… To feel his heart beating slowly and steadily under his…

Why did he ever think he could've lived without it?

Sasuke's glare immediately softened upon seeing the look of hopeless devotion within his lover's eyes. Those same impossibly blue eyes that had sucked him in, and drowned him over and over again…

"How much have you missed me?" the dark-haired boy whispered, as he tried to calm his racing heart. The question was teasing, but his tone of voice was not… And his eyes… They were apprehensive, serious… Almost fearful.

He couldn't live without Naruto. He knew that now. And it scared him to the depths of his soul.

"I've missed you so, so, so, so much…" the blonde smiled, as he leant down to place a chaste kiss upon his lover's lips. Sasuke's arms instinctively wrapped themselves around the warm body, pulling the smaller boy towards him into a more passionate and heated embrace. Their lips found each other's, and for the next 5 minutes, the two boys re-explored each other, re-tasted each other and delved deeper into each other's soul.

"Sasuke…?" Naruto murmured, as he gently rested his head upon the Uchiha's chest, almost purring in contentment. He could feel the slow and seductive strum of his lover's heart, almost luring him into a meditative state.

"Hmm?"

"Sakura called…"

"Hmm…"

"She asked us to meet her for dinner…"

"Hmm…"

"With the gang… You know… Hinata, Ino, Shikamaru…"

"Hmm…"

"Are you listening to me?"

Sasuke smiled softly. Even though his eyes were closed, he could vividly imagine the adorable pout that was almost certainly plastered over the smaller boy's face. Sometimes, Naruto was too cute for his own good.

"Hmm…"

"Sasuke!"

He fought hard to suppress a smirk. The blonde was probably frowning by now.

"Sasukeee!" Naruto whined, as he sat up in the Uchiha's lap. "We haven't seen Sakura in agesss!"

"Hmm…"

It was true. When they had first told Sakura about their situation, she hadn't been very happy - nor accepting at all. In fact, she had cried, begged and screamed for days. But after a year and a half, she finally came around and saw the truth – that it wasn't wrong, nor sick, nor unnatural. It was _real_. _Their love was real._ It was obvious that they couldn't have been happier with anyone else…

And she learnt to accept that.

"Sasuke…"

"Hmm…"

"You smell."

This time Sasuke grinned openly as he sat up, his hair adorably ruffled - an outcome of his lover's engagement. "I guess I need a shower then…!"

Naruto smiled affectionately, his blue eyes misty with emotion. "I love you," he murmured shyly, his heart skipping a beat at his own admission.

"I love you too," Sasuke whispered honestly, as he stood up and lazily stretched his limbs. "Oh… And Naruto…?"

"Hmm…?"

"You smell too."

"Neh! I just showered a few hours ago!" the blonde shook his head in furious denial.

"You _really_ smell!" Sasuke teased. How he loved to provoke his lover! Call it a much deserved form of revenge!

"Do not!"

"Yes you do! I think you need another shower!"

"DO NOT!"

"With me…!"

The Uchiha could almost see the cogs turning in Naruto's head, before a cute blush appeared faintly upon his cheeks.

"Uh… okay."

**Owari**. (for the 2nd time!)

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Gah finally!! It's over!! AGAIN!! lol. Wow... I hope that fulfils everyone's crazy need for fluff And lookie - I managed to give Sakura an ending in less than 4 lines!! Woohoo! And Naruto in the anime - is it me, or is he starting to kick ass?!

And sorry guys - I know absolutely nothing about amnesia, and I'm too lazy to go research it... ;p So uh... If I have any facts wrong etc, then I apologise...

Well whadyathink? I should stick to angst, ne? Me and fluff don't seem to _connect_ properly -- I'm sorry if I've disappointed you readers out there... Don't get me to write fluff next time XD

Anyway - until next time! (once I get off my lazy ass and actually do something useful... Btw that stupid ps2 Naruto game grr... I can't complete one of the missions . and seeing the '_failed_' screen over 20 times kinda makes a person feel worthless lol)

And a final note - Gravitation - kick ass anime! Go watch na no da!! (yeh I know I'm slow bleh... :p)

And and... [cough] self plug [cough] New fic out soon! And [gasp] its a HUMOUR!! Gahh! [runs away screaming]


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